Estrogen receptor gene amplification is found in some estrogen receptor-positive human breast tumors.
The genomic organization of the estrogen receptor (ER) gene has been analyzed in 21 primary human breast cancers and 1 axillary metastasis. No evidence of rearrangements of the ER gene was found in the analyzed tumors. In 6/14 ER-positive tumors a certain degree of amplification of the ER gene, ranging from 1.6 to 3-fold, was detected. No correlation was observed between the level of gene amplification and the amount of ER in the tumors. In the 8 ER-negative tumors analyzed no amplification could be detected. It is concluded that ER gene amplification may be one of the mechanisms underlying the increased ER expression in some breast tumors.
Nembrot
M
M
Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas Fundación Campomai, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Quintana
B
B
Mordoh
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D005784:Gene Amplification; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000235:genetics*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen